Fond Farewells
by Tatsurou-san
Summary: This story was a challenge to myself.  Rated for later chapters.
1. A Noise in the Night

1. A noise in the night It was a quiet night in Titans Tower. Everyone was asleep. At least it seemed that way. Then there was a crash, and everyone awoke.  
>A quick rush to the source of the noise, and confusion reigned. One window in the common room was shattered, and the night was filled with a thunderstorm.<br>Robin quickly turned to the others. "We may have an intruder. Titans, split up! Search the tower."  
>Starfire flew up to the upper floors, checking for anything that didn't belong.<br>Cyborg went down to the garage, checking for damages.  
>Robin headed for the evidence garage, to see if anyone was seeking to steal any of the confiscated tech.<br>Raven started to head out, then stopped. Beast Boy hadn't come running like the others, which was odd. Even though it was late at night, a disturbance in the tower would have had him up and running sooner than anyone. Besides that, his sleep lately hadn't been easy, and she had often found him up in the middle of the night, troubled. Whenever she'd asked him about it, though, he'd put on a fake smile and tell her everything was fine. Then he'd make a terrible joke, and she'd lose interest.  
>She went to his room, and knocked on his door. "Beast Boy! Wake up. We may have-"<br>The door fell open. The room was wrecked, and there was no sign of Beast Boy. She pulled out her communicator.  
>"Has anyone seen Beast Boy?"<br>The answer quickly came back a negative.  
>"His room is wrecked. We'd better find him."<br>The search was on again, not for an intruder, but for any sign of their missing comrade.  
>Eventually, they gathered once more in the common room. There was still no sign of Beast Boy.<br>"Dammit!" Cyborg slammed his metal fist down on the table. "Somebody grabbed BB! I can't get a lock on his communicator, either."  
>"Oh, dear. I hope friend Beast Boy is alright." Starfire was fretting with worry. "He could be injured, or scared, or-"<br>"Calm down, Star," Robin said, taking her hand. "Beast Boy's probably one of the strongest Titans around. If anyone knows how to take care of himself, he does. Trust me, he'll be fine, and we'll get him back home before you know it." It was obvious he didn't really believe most of what he said, but was desperate to reassure Starfire.  
>Raven said nothing. She was trying hard to keep herself - and especially her emotions - under control. It was rapidly becoming a losing battle.<br>Cyborg, in his pacing, tripped over Game Station. It popped open, and he saw something odd inside it. Reaching in, he pulled it out. "Umm...guys? I don't think BB was kidnapped."  
>Everyone turned to him. "What do you mean, Cyborg?" Robin asked calmly.<br>Cyborg holds up an envelope. Scrawled on the front are the words, "To my Friends."  
>"THis is BB's handwriting." <div> 


	2. The Letter

2. The Letter Everyone was dead silent as Cyborg opened the envelope. He pulled out the letter.  
>"What does it say?" Robin asked quietly.<br>"He wants me to read it aloud," said Cyborg, as he began.  
>"My dear Friends,<br>I don't really want to do this, but for everyone's safety, I have to leave. The Beast is back, and I don't know if I can control it this time. I've fought for as long as I can, but I'm losing. One day soon, the Beast will take over, and I will be powerless to stop it. So, for everyone's sake, I'm taking myself - and the Beast - where no one will ever find me, and where the Beast will never hurt anyone again. I guess that means...this is goodbye."  
>"No!" Starfire interrupted. "Surely we can help him. We must!"<br>"Star, there's more." Cyborg continued.  
>"Robin, you never did trust the Beast, and I begin to see why. An out of control animal would cause everyone harm, whether or not it actually attacked anyone. I want to thank you for everything you've done for me. You gave me a place where I could do some good. You gave me a home, a family. You were like a big brother: at once stern and unyeilding, while concerned and caring. I always knew you cared, even if you couldn't show it well. So thanks, bro, for everything."<br>Robin's face mask quivered, silent tears slipping out.  
>"Starfire, you were always so upbeat and happy. Even when, emotionally, I was at my darkest, you made things seem brighter. You brought light into the world without even trying. You're like the big sister I never had. I'm glad to have known you, and will miss you. Don't cry for me too much, and take care of our leader there. Don't let him get too serious. I know I can count on you to keep everyone smiling."<br>"Beast Boy..." Starfire was in tears, sobbing bitterly. Robin, without even thinking about it, put his arm around her.  
>"Cyborg, it looks like you finally won our little arguement. The Beast is definately a carnivore, and I seriously doubt if there will be any tofu where I wind up. I know it's not really your thing, but I can't think of anyone better than my best bud in the whole world to keep everyone laughing. I'll miss you, tin man, and I hope you never stop laughing when you remember me." Cyborg wiped at the tears that were flowing freely from his human eye. "Aw, dude..."<br>Raven was silent for a while. Sheknew what was coming. Beast Boy's farewell to her. She was half afraid of what he might say.  
>Cyborg finally got himself under control enough to continue reading. A quick glance at the nexxt paragraph, though, made his eye go wide.<br>"Raven, I'll miss you most of all. All those times I tried to make you laugh, get you to smile, to open up more...an investment I'll never be able to follow up on, I guess. Don't let my absence undo it all, though, Rae. I had a reason for everything I did. I'm sorry if I ever caused you pain: it was the last thing I ever wanted to do. And I'm even sorrier that I never got the courage to tell you...how much I love you."  
>There was an audible gasp from Robin and Starfire. Raven went dead white. Cyborg managed to continue reading.<br>"I wish I could have done this differently, but already I feel the Beast struggling to break free. So this is goodbye, my friends, my family. Don't forget about me?  
>Garfield Mark Logan, aka, Beast Boy"<br>Cyborg lowered the letter. "Raven..."  
>"I'm going back to bed." Raven turned and left the room.<br>The others wanted to go after her, but something was wrong, and it rooted them to the spot. Her voice wasn't her usual monotone, but it also didn't have any emotion behind it.  
>Her voice sounded dead. <div> 


	3. Dead Inside

3. Dead Inside It had been about a month since Beast Boy's departure, and the team still wasn't the same. No one spoke of Beast Boy's departure, or of what had been said in the letter. While several Titans had stepped in to fill the gap in the line-up of the team, none could fill the void in the Tower left by his absence. None stayed long, as something about the air in the tower drove them away. Eventually, no one else would take the position.  
>By that point, it was clear they didn't truely need someone to stand in. The team worked well. Robin had taken on an almost studied brutality with his approach to the vilains. Starfire, while she no longer flew, fought much more fiecely, and her starbolts hit with devastating force. Cyborg never hesitated to take a shot, and was continuously upgrading his cybernetics to be more effective.<br>Raven was scary. The dead sound of her voice carried over to her magic. The total absence of emotion in her, far from weakening her spells, had made them scarily powerful, and she fought without hesitation or concern. While she often came back from missions injured, she dealt with her foes swiftly and easily, and would quietly heal herself if the injury were of concern.  
>This was the first mission the team took with only 4 memberes. Robin didn't even bother with a pre-mission lecture on safety. Looking at everyone, he said simply, "Let's get it done."<br>It was a bio-chemical plant under assault. They didn't know who was attacking, but they would deal with them. As they burst in, looking for the enemy, Raven paused.  
>"This place..." Her voice, for the first time since BB's departure, had a shred of emotion to it, a slight tinge of regret.<br>"What friend Raven? What about this place?" Starfire looked at her, half comcerned for her friend, half relieved to hear emotion in her voice.  
>Robin recognized the place. "This is where we first fought Adonis."<br>Cyborg shuddered. "This is where it happened. Where..." He could say no more.  
>Hearing noise further inside, they discarded their conversation and headed inside. Then they saw the villain.<br>"Well Titans, have you come to challenge the strongest?" Adonis smirked at them as e flexed his exo-suit. It had undergone several upgrades, and was actually somewhat intimidating.  
>"Adonis! We're taking you down." With that, the battle was joined.<br>Robin threw several bird-a-rangs as Cyborg blasted with his hyper-sonic cannon. Starfire threw several Starbolts. Raven attacked by flinging several heavy pieces of equipment.  
>Adonis easily shrugged off every attack. "DO you take Adonis for a fool? Adonis has studied your tactics, your upgraded tech, and is ready for anything! You cannot defeat Adonis!" He charged.<br>With a backhand, he sent Star flying into the wall with enough force to leave her stunned for several seconds. A downward slam of one fist sent Cyborg into the ground. Robin was casually knocked aside. Raven struggled as she was pinned to the ground.  
>"Well, well, it's the feisty one. Now, how did this go last time? Oh yeah, that animal came and saved your cute butt. Where is he now, anyway?" He grinned as she struggled. Then she stopped. His eyes widened as hers doubled, and turned red. Suddenly he was blasted back into a wall, and Raven rose.<br>"Your fault..." Her voice had become dangerous, frightening, worse than her father's had ever been. "It's your fault he changed. It's your fault he's gone." With each statement, her power lashed like a blade, severing part of Adonis' exosuit. "If not for you, he'd still be here. If not for you, we would be whole. It's your fault!" By now, Adonis had been fully divested of his exo-suit, which was now scattered in pieces around the room. Raven was floating above the ground, her power billowing around her as her rage came forth. But this wasn't the usual rage, escaped from its cage. The rage was driven, called, embraced, unleashed. Her power lashed from beneath her robe as shadow tentacles, grabbing his body and binding him tight. "Now you will pay the price. You will taste my pain." Raven raised her arm, and shadows embraced it, and formed a blade. Adonis screamed as the blade descended towards him.  
>"Stop it Raven!" Raven froze when Cyborg shouted. He had his cannon pointed at her. "I'll stop you if I have to."<br>Raven turned to stare at Cyborg. "He will die for what he has done."  
>"We aren't killers Raven. If you do this, it's over. We'll have to take you down."<br>Raven stared at him for a while, then spoke. "Don't care."  
>"Raven!" Robin was up now, and speaking to her. "If you do this, you're no better than your father."<br>Raven turned to gaze coldly at Robin for a time, then spoke again. "I'll live with that." She turned and raised her arm again. Adonis screamed.  
>"Friend Raven, wait!" Starfire stood up and came over to Raven. Raven turned to stare at her. "Even in the grip of the Beast, not even Beast Boy would do this. Is this how you would honor him?" Her voice was on the edge of tears. "Is this what he would want?"<br>Raven's eyes went wide, then returned to normal. Callously, she tossed Adonis aside and warped away. Robin and Starfire then took Adonis into custody. Cyborg, hwever, went straight back to the tower.  
>*Something's wrong with Raven, worse than I thought. Courtesy and manners be damned, I am getting some answers. And I know just how.*<br>Back at the tower, Cyborg went straight to Raven's room. He knew exactly what he was looking for, and lucky for him, she wasn't in at the moment. Going to her desk, he pulled out her mirror.  
>"I want answers, Raven, and you aren't talking. But the others might." The mirror glowed, and he was pulled into Nevermore. Walking down the path, he was surprised when no aspect of Raven came to greet him. Passing through the first gate, his eyes went wide.<br>It was Happy's domain, but...not. The once pastel ground was brown and dead. The floating cloud-like objects had crashed to the ground. Happy herself was there, but looking almost like a statue. Her robe, her skin, her eyes...all were the same brown, lifeless color of the land. Tracks of tears flowed down her cheeks.  
>"Damn...it's like she got drained by a metroid or something..." Following the path, Cyborg continued through. Past each portal, he found more of the same. The realm, and the Raven that inhabited it, were brown and dead. At last he came to the last portal.<br>Through here, it looked...different. While slowly dying, it was still alive. The walls, the ceiling, even the floor, were covered by images of Beast Boy. His every face, his every gesture, every animal he had ever become...and every single time he had ever tried to make her smile or laugh. Drifting on the air were snatches of his voice.  
>"Why did the aardvark cross the road?"<br>"I'll make you laugh someday, Raven."  
>"You think you're alone, but you're not."<br>Overlaying everything, an unearthly wail filled the air. Looking to it's source, Cyborg's human eye widened. A Raven he'd never seen before stood there. She was garbed in pale lilac, and in her arms was cradled a small green kitten, half transformed into the Beast. Her head was tilted back, and the wail issued from her mouth, as tears flowed down her cheeks to form a river on the ground. Whatever the river touched turned brown and lifeless. Surprisingly, standing next to this Raven was Rage, who was...attempting to comfort her?  
>"What's going on here?" Cyborg asked aloud.<br>"That is Affection," said a voice behind him.  
>Turning, Cyborg saw a Raven in a pale brown robe. One arm was brown and lifeless, and black energy gathered at the breech point, holding back the spread. "And you are?"<br>"I am Wisdom. Knowledge would be the one to answer questions, but...Raven no longer wishes to know anything anymore. With Beast Boy gone, she is dying inside. All that is left is myself, Affection, and Rage. However, Affection's tears of grief steal the life from the rest of Raven's mind, until the pain of her loss will be all that is left of her."  
>"But if that happens..."<br>"It will destroy her. You had best leave soon, before you are consumed as well." The Forbidden Door opened behind him. "Please...find a way to help her."  
>"I'll try." As he truned to go through the door, he turned. "One last question. Why is rage offering comfort?"<br>Wisdom smiled at him. "Rage has a stronger defense against the pain of loss, but that doesn't make her immune. She misses him, too. He's the one person she can't hate, no matter how much she tries. Now go." Wisdom threw her hand forward, and Cyborg fell backward out of Raven's mind.  
>Landing in her room he looked at the mirror. The frame had become brittle, and a crack ran partway down the glass. "Don't worry, Raven. I'll find him." Turning, he headed towards the ops center. <div> 


	4. Hope Returns

4. Hope Returns It was two weeks since the incident with Adonis. There had been no villain activity since. Apparently, word had gotten around about what Raven had almost done to Adonis, and none of the villains wanted to rik being the next one to piss her off. Adonis himself was in the full lockdown ward of Arkham Asylum. The dark energy he'd been exposed to had been more potent than normal, and he still hadn't recovered psychologically from it.  
>Robin had not been doing well with the enforced inactivity. He often went on solo patrol, desperate for something to fight. He didn't know why, but he felt he had to fight something, and if he didn't find an opponent soon, he thought he might go crazy. Only spending time with Starfire helped him to calm down, and even then he felt antsy.<br>Starfire wasn't doing much better. Trips to the mall didn't bring her much joy any more, and many of the things that once brought her joy seemed...pointless. She found herself spending more and more time in the gym with Robin, but that was soon curtailed as Cyborg wasn't repairing the equipment anymore. Each time he was asked to, he simply said he had a more important project to work on, and leave him the hell alone.  
>Raven hadn't left her room since coming back after the Adonis incident. Those passing by her room would sometimes be startled by a sudden snarl of fury and a crash, or a sudden storm of weeping. When they asked Raven if she was all right, she would respond that she was fine, or with a request to leave her alone backed with a magic seal on the door. More often then not, it was hard to tell that her room was even occupied.<br>Cyborg hadn't left the ops center. He'd connected his core directly to the tower's main generators, so he didn't have to worry about recharging. Whatever he was doing, he ran it straight through the cybernetic aspect of his brain, so the few times one of the others had gone to check on him, they had no idea what he was doing.  
>Finally, one day, two weeks after...<br>"Raven, report to the ops center. Raven, please report to the ops center."  
>Cyborg's voice startled eveeryone. What startled them even more was when Raven actually left her room.<br>She looked terrible. Her face was wan, her skin paler than normal. Her eyes were dead, and her hair was tangled and matted. She looked - and smelled - like she hadn't cleaned herself up the entire two weeks. Ignoring the startled and concerned glances directed at her, she went right to the ops center and closed the door behind her.  
>Inside the ops center...<br>"What is it, Cyborg?" Raven's voice was still dead.  
>On the main screen was a satelite picture of an island in the mid-Atlantic. It had sheer cliff faces on all sides, looking not unlike an extremely large volcano. However, as visible on the satelite image, the interior was filled with dense forest vegetation. Turning to face her, Cyborg spoke up.<br>"I think I found him."  
>Raven was dead silent for a while. "W...what do you mean?"<br>"Remember what he said in his letter? He was going somewhere that the Beast couldn't hurt anyone. Look at this place: there's no water approach, the cliff's are too sheer to scale safely, the only way in is to fly, and flying's the only way off. He coulda flown in there, let the Beast out, and it would be trapped in its natural environment. There's no humans there, and no wild animals big enough to threaten the Beast. Plus, the records of BB's communicator say he was heading right for it before the signal went dead. I'd bet my bottom dollar that's where he is. Not that we can check..." Cyborg watched the screen quietly, pretending not to notice the light slowly returning to Raven's eyes.  
>"Excuse me," Raven said quietly, and she left the room. Cyborg grinned.<br>"Go, Rae. If anyone can help him, it's you. And if anyone can help you...it's him."  
>Outside the ops center, things had changed. Not long before Raven came out, Robin spotted Starfire...floating.<br>"Star! You're flying!" he said with joy. He was surprised to find joy within himself again.  
>"I know, friend Robin. I know not why, but suddenly the world looks much...happier. Perhaps I should make a pudding to celebrate."<br>As Raven exitted the ops center, she surrounded herself with her magic and, taking the form of the shadow raven, took flight. As she did so, Robin felt a surge of emotion wash over him and, before he knew what he was doing, he found himself kissing Starfire. Although it surprised her, she wasn't complaining as she deepened the kiss, a similar swell of emotion rising in her own heart.  
>Hope had returned to Raven's heart, and to Titan Tower. <div> 


	5. Union

5. Union Raven floated over the island. Spreading her mind out, she could sense nothing below, but something told her this was the place. She floated down towards the forested area. Seeing a place where the treetops had been disturbed, she entered there.  
>On the ground in front of her were the shredded remnants of Beast Boy's uniform, along with his smashed communicator. She fell to her knees when she saw this, tears in her eyes. He was here! "Beast Boy..." she whispered.<br>Reaching up to her throat, she unclasped her cloak and let it fall to the ground. Deactivating her communicator, she set it down on top. She would find him, and if she could not bring him home...if she could not reach him...save him...  
>She shook her thoughts from that. "Better a quick death at his hands then a slow one without him." She started at her words, but she knew the truth of them. Turning her back on what she left behind - here and elsewhere - she walked into the woods.<br>After a long time of walking, she leaned against a tree. She was tired and sweating, and she was no closer to finding him. "I won't give up," she told herself. "I've come to far. I'm not turning back." The skin on the back of her neck prickled. She was being watched. Turning, she looked around, gathering her power. She didn't know what had approached her, but she was far from defensless.  
>The foliage stirred, then parted. A lupine muzzle with upturned fangs; cat like ears with a long mane; powerful forequarters, barrel like chest; sturdy hindquarters and whipping tail. It was the Beast.<br>Raven let her magic fade. A genuine smile fought its way onto her face. "Beast Boy..." she said, tears in her eyes, "...I found you." She started to move towards him.  
>The Beast gave a vicious bark, and she froze. Something was wrong. This was the Beast, Beast Boy's primal side, there could be no doubt. But something was wrong. He was...different. More feral.<br>The Beast leaned towards her, sniffing. It snuffled at her for a while, then grinned a feral wolf's smile. It reared back on its - his - hindquarters, revealing to Raven undeniable proof that the Beast was VERY male...and eager.  
>Raven gulped. Looking up into the Beast's eyes, she searched for any sign of her beloved, the one she came here for. She saw only feral animal instinct, dominance, posessiveness, ownership. Feeling hope begin to die, she steeled herself. "If this is all that is left of you, my love...so be it." Reaching up, she slowly and carefully stripped off her unitard, discarding it to the side. It was soon followed by her boots, bra, and panties. She now stood before the Beast in only her natural glory. She stretched her arms towards him. "Come to me, my love."<br>The Beast surged forward. Seizing her by her arms, he pinned her to the ground. His wet nose brushed against her neck, snuffling, then trailed downward between her breasts. She flinched. While normally this would have tickled, now she only felt excitement, a dark arousal. His nose continued downward, trailing across her belly until finally, he approached her delicate, untouched flower. She closed her eyes, flinching back from this touch, then let out an involuntary gasp as he tasted her with his long, wet tongue.  
>A brutish chuckle escaped the Beast's throat, and he surged forward, mounting her. She flinched back, letting out an involuntary cry as he penetrated deep into her, tears falling as her blood fell to the ground, her eyes shut tight. The Beast's eyes were half lidded in pleasure. He moved to begin thrusting.<br>*NO!*  
>She didn't know where that cry came from, but she knew it couldn't be like this. She didn't come here to become the Beast's property. She came to reclaim her beloved. Reclaim...that was it. She had to claim the Beast for her own.<br>Her eyes flashed open, all four of them. Flexing her magic, she flipped the Beast onto his back, leaving her sitting astride him. Her magic pinned his arms and legs to the ground, leaving him at her mercy.  
>"No love," she said, her voice a quiet hiss. "We do this my way, not yours. YOU belong to ME."<br>She proceeded to ride him, moving her hips rythmically, crying out alternately in pain and pleasure. All time was lost as the wave of need and desire consumed her mind and soul, her emotions at last falling into the crucible of love, fusing to become at last a whole being. As the last fell into the molten fires of her core, she let out a scream as the ecstasy of release struck them both forcefully.  
>The Beast howled as well, but mixed in with the howl was a voice...a voice she had longed for...a voice calling her name.<br>She fell against the Beast's chest, her magic dissipating. She watched now, fascinated, as the Beast became totally relaxed...and changed.  
>The fur retracted slowly, the ears drawing back into the head, the muzzle withdrawing. The mane shortened, straightening. His body shifted, becoming fully bipedal. Before long, she stared down into the face of her beloved. "Beast Boy..."<br>His eyes opened, dazed, as if from a long sleep. "Raven...?"  
>She clung to him then, weeping into his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. He then realised their position, and what happened came back to him. "Did...did I...?"<br>"No, love," Raven said quietly, "I did."  
>"I...I'm sorry, I-"<br>"I'm not."  
>Beast Boy gazed into her eyes.<br>"I got you back, love," she said quietly. "I would have gladly given so much more than what I did."  
>He was quiet. "I...I can't go back...not yet...I...I've changed."<br>She smiled at him. "Then I'll stay. Right here. With you."  
>He looked at her, gazing deep into her eyes. His filled with tears. "I love you," he whispered, his whole being in his words.<br>"And I love you," she whispered back, meaning it more in this moment then ever before.  
>They rolled onto their sides, facing each other. Then, falling into their innermost selves, they engaged in that most ancient and sacred joining of man and woman, as it was meant to be done: as equals.<br>They lost their pasts...as they found their future. 


	6. Come get me

6. Come get me I've been stuck here...I don't know how long...I've lost all track of time...all I do know...I have to get out of here...  
>I can't believe they did this to me...I thought we were friends...but then again...I guess it's how we were taught...<br>I can't build a boat...no other way off this blasted island...I'm just lucky...IT never comes through this cave...  
>Let's see...I think I've got the connections right...I'm lucky I found the extra tech...Lucky I still had my communicator...even if this IS beyond where it can reach...<br>It's working! All right...time to see if it can work...  
>"Jinx calling anybody! Repeat, Jinx calling anybody! Can you hear me? Please, pick up!"<p>Titan Tower, Jump City...<br>It had been six months since Raven had left the tower. Villainy had stayed at all time lows. As such, the remaining three Titans had more than their share of free time.  
>Robin and Starfire spent just about every waking moment together. It was just last week that Robin - now Nightwing - had a surprise for Starfire. With how they had been afterwards, Cyborg suspected it wouldn't be long before Starfire had a surprise right back for him. Any time they weren't together, Nightwing was on the phone with various people who 'had to know', and Starfire would stare at the ring in gentle wonder and joy.<br>Cyborg was a little more subdued. Although he shared in his friend's joy, he had other things on his mind. First, he was really worried about Raven. Even though he thought there was a chance she might not return - even if she did find Beast Boy and help him to overcome the Beast - he thought she'd at least have called or written by now. And she wasn't the only Titan MIA right now. Suddenly the communicator went off, and he swung over to it, as one of his other worries was answered.  
>"Jinx calling anybody! Repeat, Jinx calling anybody! Can you hear me? Please, pick up!"<br>"I'm not just anybody, Jinx, but I'll pick up!" The relief in his voice at hearing from her was palpable. "Where you been, girl? You've been off radar for nearly 7 months!"  
>"That long? Gods above, who cares! Get me out of here! The GPS of my position should be in the signal."<br>Cyborg glanced at the signal and saw the coordinates. His face paled. "We'll be right there!"  
>"Hurry! There's some sort of-"*KSSSSSSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHHHH*<br>"Jinx! Jinx come in! ...Dammit!" Switching to regular broadcast, he announced to the Tower, "Titans report to the hanger! Now!" He made his way there within moments.  
>"Cyborg, what's wrong? What's going on?"<br>"Yes friend Cyborg, we have not heard you so anxious since-"  
>"Jinx is in trouble! We're taking the T-jet. Titans, GO!" He hopped into the jet and started powering up. Glancing at each other, Nightwing and Starfire followed suit.<p>

Hours later...  
>"Are you planning on telling us what this is all about any time soon?" Nightwing was irritated. He didn't like going in blind.<br>"I got a distress call from Jinx. It came with coordinates. She's convinced she's in some sort of danger, and you know how long she's been off the radar." Cyborg was very curt with answers.  
>"But friend Cyborg, the way you act, one would think you knew something about the danger she is in." Starfire was most confused, as worried as she was for Jinx.<br>"...I have a theory...and I hope I'm wrong...we're coming up on the island."  
>"Island?"<br>It came into view. Sheer cliff faces, perfectly circular, rising at least a thousand feet into the air. Inside, a few stray clouds, and rich verdant forests and the sounds of wild animals.  
>Starfire stared at the island in wonder. "Forgive my ignorance, but perchance is this the Eden Garden I have heard so much about?"<br>"Looks like it..." Nightwing could barely speak from awe.  
>"Coming in for a landing." Cyborg started bringing the T-jet in.<br>All of a sudden, a storm sprang up out of nowhere. Dark clouds built up immensely, and lightning flashed. Several lightning bolts came extremely close to the T-jet. Cyborg immediately altered course out of the clifftops. As soon as they were over open water, the storm dissipated comepletely.  
>"...that was wierd..." Cyborg brought them in for a water landing.<br>As they touched down on the water, they found a cave enterance that came right up to the waters edge. Getting out, they went in.  
>Inside was Jinx, looking quite a mess. Her outfit was torn and mostly shredded. Her pants had holes all over, and her top had lost the midriff completely, and was torn off the shoulder. Her hair had fallen out of it's usual do, and hung past her shoulders, caked with mud and somewhat matted. She was filthy and bruised, with cuts and scrapes here and there. To Cyborg, though, she had never looked more beautiful. "Jinx? You okay?"<br>"CYBORG!"  
>She ran to him and clung to him, weeping and shuddering as the strain of so long just surviving took its toll on her.<br>"Get me out of here. Get me out of here! Get me away from that monster!"

After a few hours, Jinx had calmed down enough to explain what had happened.  
>"I'd...heard about what happened to Beast Boy...how he'd left. I meant to come and talk to all of you about it...but halfway there I got jumped. It was Slade, and Gizmo and Mammoth were working for him. When I came to, we were halfway across the ocean, and my communicator couldn't get a signal...even if I could reach it. They had me chained up and cuffed with Nth-metal gauntlets. I couldn't use my magic."<br>"Why would they do such a thing?" Starfire was shocked and appalled.  
>"Slade had heard a rumor from sailors about some sort of King Kong type animal on this island. He figured he'd capture it, tame it, and use it as a weapon. He decided that Gizmo, Mammoth, and I would help him catch it. They were being paid handsomely. I wasn't given a choice."<br>They were silent for a while, then she continued.  
>"Mammoth's job was to fight and subdue the creature. Gizmo was supposed to cage and capture it. They were well prepared. As for me..." She shuddered.<br>Cyborg put his arm around her. "Jinx..."  
>"Slade staked me out in the middle of the woods, and told me to 'sit there and look appealing.' To make his point, he did this." She gestured to the larger tears to her top.<br>"BASTARD!" Nightwing punched the wall of the cave.  
>"How dare he?" Starfire was barely containing her star bolts.<br>Cyborg could barely breathe. Jinx continued.  
>"Mammoth didn't like that part. He said it wasn't right. Slade told him he was being paid to fight, not to think. He tried to complain more, but Gizmo told him to shut up and do the job. I couldn't believe they would...just let me be used like that..."Jinx started to cry again, but dashed the tears away. "That's when it showed up. I couldn't get a clear look at it. It was so covered in mud and animal blood I couldn't tell what color it was, but it was all teeth and claws and fur. First it went for Mammoth." She shuddered. "He never stood a chance. Not half a minute later, he ran for it, clutching his belly to stop the bleeding. Gizmo tried to capture it, but it ripped his pack right off of him and smashed him against a cliff. Mammoth grabbed him mid run."<br>She smiled then. "Then Slade tried to take it on himself. Before he even finished his pithy comment about wanting something done right, it had ripped his arm off and was beating him with it."  
>The other Titans were stupefied at descriptions of such violence. Their feelings for the situation were mixed. While they all hated Slade, such violence went against their natures, even for their worst enemies.<br>Jinx' smile disappeared. "Then it faced me. It...it brought its clenched fists down on my chains, shattering them. Then it roared at me. I ran for it. By the time I got to the cave mouth, Slade and the others had already left, leaving me behind. I...I've been trying to survive...and avoid that...THING...ever since."  
>Cyborg examined the remenants of the Nth-metal cuffs sitting against the wall and whistled. "Never knew the grass stain had it in him."<br>Everyone turned to stare at him. Jinx was the first to speak up. "Are you saying...that THING was Beast Boy?" The exact details of Beast Boy's departure and the reasons for it had never been made public, even to the rest of the Titans.  
>"Yeah, I'd say so. From the way you described the creature, I'd say it was definately the Beast." At Jinx' confused expression, he said, "I'll explain later. Plus, the hair stuck to the cuffs matches his unstable DNA profile. Also, that's what you rigged up to reach me, right?" He gestured at the tech pile in the corner. She nodded. "From the looks of it, it's Gizmo's pack, plus the cobbled together parts...of THREE Titan Communicators."<br>Starfire gasped. "Then friend Raven is here too?"  
>Cyborg nodded. "She left to try to find him. Let's see if she did." He turned to make his way into the interior. <p>


	7. Going BackComing Home

7. Going Back...Coming Home

Cyborg and the others tramped through the foliage, searching. Jinx was a little nervous, given that the last time she saw what they were looking for, she was pretty certain it tried to kill her. Also, her memory was a little fuzzy on some of the details, but she was pretty sure it wasn't green.

As they marched, Cyborg kept scanning. "I'm picking up two humanoid vital signs, very strong. One's off by the cliffs, the other's roughly in the center of the island."

"Let's check the one in the center," Nightwing said. "That one's less likely to move." Starfire started to take flight, but Nightwing stopped her. "DOn't fly, Star. Something on this island doesn't like fliers, so let's not risk you getting hit." She nodded, and they continued inward.

They soon came to a wide clearing, with a small clump of trees at its center. The tree's leaves hung down, obscuring the interior from sight. They headed for the group of trees, but Cyborg stopped them. "That first life sign is in there, but the other one is closing in on our location, and coming up fast!"

Nightwing braced himself. "Titans, g-" he was interrupted as a huge green blur slammed into him, sending him flying backward.

The others braced themselves. Standing in front of them was the Beast, snarling, but he seemed...bigger, and more feral than the last time they'd seen him. As they prepared for battle...the Beast jumped backward...and stared at them all. As Nightwing stood up, the Beast suddenly...shifted. Beast Boy returned to himself, and said, "...Cyborg?"

Starfire and Jinx quickly turned their backs as Cyborg responded. "Dude, you're okay! It's good to see you...if not this much of you," he said, averting his eyes.

Nightwing stood up. "And why did you tackle me?" He glared at Beast Boy.

He looked over, tilting his head. "Wait...Robin, is that you?" He completely ignored the comment about his wardrobe...or lack thereof.

"Yes, it's me, but I go by Nightwing now."

"Dude! That's sweet. Wait right here." He ran over to the foliage. "Raven! Raven, we've got visitors."

The foliage parted, and Raven stood up, clad only in a contented smile. "Garfield, what kind of visitors could you be so happy abo-" she stopped when she saw the others. "You're here!" she shouted joyfully as she ran to embrace them all.

Starfire, hearing Raven's voice, turned and squeeled. "Friend Raven!" She ran up and hugged Raven tight...then stopped. Glancing down, she noticed Raven's heavily swollen abdomen. "Raven...you are having the bumgorf!"

Everyone came forward now, though there was much embarassment about Beast Boy and Raven's lack of clothes, they wanted to congratulate the two of them on finding each other and having the baby. After a while, Cyborg spoke up.

"We're going to be heading back to Jump City soon. What about you two? You wanna stay here in Eden...or come back with us?"

There was silence, and Raven and Beast Boy looked at each other. "What do you say, Gar?"

He was silent, then nodded. "I think I'm ready, but it's up to you."

She nodded, and held up her hand. Her cloak flew to her, and she wrapped it around herself. Beast Boy turned into a raven and perched on her shoulder. "Let's go home everyone."

3 months later...

In the newly crafted Titan nursery, a large crib contained a group of squalling and squabbling infants. The Titans crowded in, eager for their first look at the Logan quadruplets.

"Alright everyone, settle down. You'll disturb the babies." Raven hushed them to silence, then let them come forward. Inside the crib were four...beasts?

"Uhh..." Cyborg stared at the four little balls of fur and fangs. "...they're so...fluffy?"

"I know," Raven said, "I was surprised to. Let me introduce you." Reaching in, she lifted out the largest one, a male with bright yellow fur. "This one is Richard." Little Richard started flailing about, like he was punching and kicking imaginary foes. "He did most of the kicking, we think." She handed him to his namesake, and Nightwing held him gently.

Next she pulled out the other male, who had electric blue fur. All of a sudden, he burped, and a concentrated blast of sonic energy erupted from his mouth. "This is Victor," she said, handing him to Cyborg to hold.

Starfire eagerly lifted out a bright red girl. "And who is this precious bum-" a blast of green kinetic energy erupted from the baby's eyes, hitting Star square in the face, "-gorf..."

Raven laughed. "That's Kori," she said, and Star squeeled to have one of the infants named for her, too. Then she lifted out the last girl, who's fur was a mix of purple and green. "And this is Rachel." Black energy surrounded Rachel's paws, and she suddenly shifted into a duck. "They've all got some of their powers now, as you can see, and they'll take on a human form in a few months...once they're weaned."

"Nursing them must be a big problem," Jinx said, marveling at the little bundles of joy.

"Not as much as you might think," Raven said, as she set them down, one by one, next to Beast Boy, who was in the form of a lioness. She grinned hugely. "We take turns."

The End 


End file.
